Think
of the coolest, sassiest, most audacious person you know. That one person that
has the best wardrobe, the greatest hair and the daring looks. Thinking of
someone? Well quadruple it, times it by 64 and add a billion. Your answer? Miss
Claudia Dyer. With a fashion sense that screams individuality and a voice that
seems to be crafted by angels, this 21-year-old beauty is causing a riot
throughout the UK. Her first single, Blind, debuted No. 3 in the charts on the
first week of release, climbing to the top spot in just the second week.
"Well I didn't expect that, when I was told I just laughed, I thought they
were taking the piss!"
The
half Caribbean wonder was brought up alongside her brother in the heart of
London by her Mother and Nan, after her father sadly passed away when she was
just 4-years-old. "Everything I do is for them. My Mum and Nan have raised
me, my brother is my best friend, and I just want to make my Dad proud."
Claudia attended Haverstock Hill Secondary School in Camden from the age of 11
until she was 18. Surprisingly, after achieving a good set of A Level results
and being accepted into 3 Universities, Claudia rejected all of them. Instead,
she took a job working in a local pub; motivated by the promise that she could
perform a couple of songs every weekend. "I thought to myself, what's the
point going to Uni when I know that all I want to do in life is make music and
sing? That's when I'm at my happiest. Not when I'm being bored to death
learning about subjects that I couldn't give a flying fuck about."
Claudia's late father was an amazing guitarist, and taught Claudia how to play
from the tender age of 3. She explains that it was a 'special bond' in which
they shared. "We just understood music, and each other. We shared the same
passion, the same warm feeling that I still get every time I play. I could
never thank him enough for introducing it to me, but he knows how grateful I
am."
As
a young teen, Claudia spent her free time going to local singing classes,
playing the guitar, and writing songs. "I wasn't very popular at
school," she explains, "people used to call me weird. I didn't like
hanging out with the girls there. All they talked about was how sexy our
history teacher was and have heated discussions about which was the best soap
on TV. I didn't care about all that crap, it just didn't bother me. My main
focus was my music and that's why I'm in the UK top 10, and they're out taking
drugs and getting pregnant." Claudia performed gig after gig but it was
not until she was 19 that she managed to get a spot at The Windmill in Brixton.
It was there and then that she was spotted by Adam Tudhope, the same walking
brilliance that represents Mumford & Sons, Keane and Laura Marling. It was
through his connections that Claudia landed a record deal with Island Records.
"It all happened so quickly. He got my number, rung me the next day, and
within a month I had a meeting with the managers at Island Records. Obviously
it took a while to finalise everything, but where I am now compared to where I
was two years ago is a massive leap. Adam has done so much for me, he's like an
extra family member now, we're so close. I owe it all to him."
The
first time we meet Claudia is at a delightful little coffee shop in Camden. The
crispy autum air combined with the sun shining bright makes a perfect scene
over London. It's no wonder that this breath of fresh air is so adored by many.
Her intriguing eyes, wonderfully fizzy hair and gleaming smile outlined by a
captivating plum-coloured lipstick immediately entice us. She wears tattered
jeans, black Doctor Martens and a checkered shirt. It is clear she feels
comfortable here. She says; "I wanted you to come here because this is
where it all began for me. This is where I discovered my love of music and song
writing, this is where I would sit and think about everything in my life that I
could put into my music. This is where I would scribble lyrics into my scruffy
old journal and improvise melodies in my head which could accompany them."
We can see why Claudia loves it here, the huge windows display the hustle and
bustle of the area allowing an entertaining glimpse into the lives of other
people, and the coffee is marvellous. "We came here all the time with my
pap. It was his favourite place ever! There was not a single Saturday morning
that he missed his 11:00 cappuccino and brownie." The massive smile on her
face reflects the happy memories that she describes to us, and her happiness is
contagious as we can't stop smiling either! It's hard to believe that this young
woman has been through so much, yet is still so strong. We find ourselves
falling more and more in love with her!
“I’m
really excited about my album, ‘The Calm Before The Storm’. I’ve worked so hard
on it and I’m buzzing for all my fans to listen to the finished product! This
life wouldn’t be possible without them so I’ve dedicated a crazy amount of time
and effort into making my album the best it can be as a huge Thank-You to them.
The album features 10 songs, all written by me, and a bonus track that I wrote
and produced with the amazing Jake Bugg. I love his sound, we’re very similar
so my manager introduced us and we instantly clicked! He proposed that we
should throw some notes around together sometime, so I contacted him and now we
have a track together! It was so cool.” Miss Dyer explains that it was the
first collaboration that she has ever done with another artist, and it went so
well that they are thinking of doing another one together soon. “I’d love to do
another track with Jake, but I know how busy he is! It would be a dream of mine
to create a track with someone like Bob Dylan! He has
been such an influential figure in my life since I was little. My Mum and Dad
were always dancing around the kitchen to his songs, his music brings back such
beautiful memories for me. My Mum still listens to him all the time, I really
want to meet him so I can introduce them to each other because I know that
would complete her life!”
Obviously, Claudia is extremely close with her
family and she showers them in compliments. They have had a close bond from the
beginning and have always stuck together when times have gotten tough. “They
mean everything to me. My brother, Zac, is hilarious – there is never a dull
moment with him around. Being older, he’s always been protective of me and he’s
always been the first person I turn to. When Dad died, he was the one that kept
everyone together – he’s our rock. We get along so well and I’m always in
contact with him! He loves my career because it means he gets to meet loads of
girls! My Nan is wonderful as well, she’s like a second Mum! She looks after
all of us, picks us up when we’re down, always up for a chat over a cuppa! And
of course my Mum is amazing, after everything she has been through she is still
so supportive of us. I love them to bits.”
Claudia recently won the Brit ‘Critics Choice
Award’. Previously won by artists such as Tom Odell, Florence and the Machine
and Ellie Goulding, the award is an honour and demonstrates the belief that
other people have in their music. “I literally couldn’t believe it! It shows
that hard work and determination definitely pays off. To be awarded for doing
something that I love is incredible, I can’t describe how thankful I am. I feel
honoured to be chosen the year after Tom Odell. He is fantastic and one of my
idols, so to win what he won a year ago just feels amazing.”
"I
love everything about this career. I love writing down my thoughts and feelings
and turning them into songs. I don't feel the need to brainwash young people's minds
by constantly singing about provocative partying, fallacious relationships and
all that cheesy bullshit. I'd much rather express through my songs the real
problems of society like sacrifice, prejudice and the struggles of life rather
than talking about a 'shawty' getting drunk in a club. Seriously, who gives a
shit about whether or not a guy hooks up with a girl based on the size of her
arse?!" The opinionated youngster idolises artists including The Black
Keys, Coldplay and The Fray. "They talk about real shit. They are true to
themselves and to the world, they don't care about owning a Gucci belt or being
voted hottest male of the year. They just want to have their music heard and
the message behind their songs received! That's all I could ask for in song
writing, none of this fake crap played constantly on the radio. I literally
listen to some artist's songs and think, were they drunk when they wrote this?
Are they aware of how contradictory and inconsequential they are being? It
really frustrates me. There are over 300,000 words in the English language and
they chose to throw the most meaningless lyrics together and accompany it with
a repetitive 'heard it all before' tune. It's so aggravating! Especially when
they actually have a good vocal range!" She laughs off her little rant and
takes a sip of her coffee to relax! "I am so sorry haha, I'm just so
passionate about music that sometimes I get slightly carried away!"
"Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to be a teen with a thousand problems eating at you night and day. I know what it's like to have a boy you thought you were in love with walk out on you along with your heart. I know what its like to be completely backstabbed by your best friend who you thought would be the one person to never let you down. But I've learnt that these situations just make you a stronger person, and they motivate me to carry on doing what I love, because it's me whos laughing now. That's why I don't write songs about true love or friendships. Yeah I believe in them, and if they happen they happen, but I don't want to give people that have hurt me the satisfaction of knowing it through my music. Its simply not worth it! It makes it seem like I give two shits, when really they've done me a favour and helped me become who I am today. I'm stronger than ever. So two fingers to them!"
"Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to be a teen with a thousand problems eating at you night and day. I know what it's like to have a boy you thought you were in love with walk out on you along with your heart. I know what its like to be completely backstabbed by your best friend who you thought would be the one person to never let you down. But I've learnt that these situations just make you a stronger person, and they motivate me to carry on doing what I love, because it's me whos laughing now. That's why I don't write songs about true love or friendships. Yeah I believe in them, and if they happen they happen, but I don't want to give people that have hurt me the satisfaction of knowing it through my music. Its simply not worth it! It makes it seem like I give two shits, when really they've done me a favour and helped me become who I am today. I'm stronger than ever. So two fingers to them!"
The
singing phenomenon will be touring the UK starting next year, in order to
promote her fantastic new album. It will travel the entire country including
London, Manchester, Cardiff, Nottingham, Plymouth and many more. Claudia will
be performing songs off her new album and a few cover songs with visits from a
few surprise guests. “We’ve got so much lined up! It’s going to be epic. It
will be my first ever tour so of course I’m pretty nervous but I’m so excited I
can’t even tell you!” As well as a tour, Claudia has been invited to perform at
various festivals next year. “It will be a really busy year, but I’m looking
forward to it. I think it will be really good for me, it will help to gain
experience in the industry and meet loads of amazing artists.” She will be
performing at festivals such as Latitude, Reading/Leads, iTunes and
Glastonbury.
We
ask Claudia more about her new single, and what inspired the lyrics and the
sound. Her unique tone makes the lyrics raspy yet soft, and she also holds a
position in a
"soprano" which is the highest female voice classification – a very unique talent to possess.
“I wanted to express the emotions that I have had to keep bottled up about my
family, my Dad, my school life. I wanted people to know what goes on behind
closed doors – and why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Hence the title
of the song ‘Blind’. So many people are oblivious to what is really going on in
the world. They criticise people on how they dress, how much money they have,
whether they have the latest gadgets or not. I want the people victimised by
this to not be afraid, to want to stand out. The sound was inspired by a song
my Dad wrote years ago. He used to play it to me and my brother every night
before we went to bed. It was so much better than a bedtime story. I wanted a
calm melody, in order for people to listen to the lyrics and think about what I’m
saying. I’m proud of it, so I hope my fans are proud too.”
Aswell
as a perfect voice, a bubbly personality and a gift for music, Claudia is a
keen enthusiast on raising money for charity. "Basically, I'm launching a
clothing line in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. 90% of all the money
received will go towards Cancer Research UK. I know how hard it is to lose
someone to cancer, so the more money we raise from the collection, the more we
can participate in the search for a cure. It will be available from the 12th
December in all UK Urban Outfitters stores. A lot of the clothes have been
designed by me or influenced by things that I wear, so I've really put my own
personal touch on it. This is the first project I've done apart from my singing
and it really does mean a lot to me! I hope that many people will support me on
this and help to raise the money. It just feels amazing to be part of something
as sentimental as this! I can't wait."
Claudia’s
album ‘The Calm Before The Storm’ is out December 13th and her
single ‘Blind’ is out now.
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